Abstract Book of the 10th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2025
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Between Support and Silence: A Mixed-Methods Study on LGBTQ+ Perceptions in Urban India
Aaliya Gupta
ABSTRACT:
This research delves into popular understandings of LGBTQ+ inclusion in India, examining how citizens encounter queer lives in education, healthcare, law, and media. While legal advancements have come via judgments such as NALSA and Navtej Johar, day-to-day acceptance is still unequal and superficial at times. The study examines how demographic indicators like gender, age, and religion influence individuals’ ease, knowledge, and acceptance of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study examines over 100 participants’ answers using both statistical measures and qualitative thematic findings. Principal findings indicate the strong theoretical support for equal rights but the ongoing personal discomfort, particularly in intimate or private contexts. Female interviewees expressed more optimism and acquaintance with LGBTQ+ individuals compared to male interviewees. The research underlines ongoing language, representation, and civic access disparities and emphasizes more targeted education, mental health service, and policy design reforms. These findings seek to inform more inclusive, evidence-based interventions within India’s increasingly dynamic sociopolitical landscape.
Keywords: sexual orientation, LGBTQ+ inclusion, India, social acceptance, queer rights, gender identity, intersectionality